Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Rectangle VS UI Playbook

Compare Rectangle VS UI Playbook and see what are their differences

Rectangle logo Rectangle

Window management app based on Spectacle, written in Swift.

UI Playbook logo UI Playbook

The documented collection of UI components
  • Rectangle Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-05-20
  • UI Playbook Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-08-17

Rectangle features and specs

  • Ease of Use
    Rectangle offers an intuitive user interface that makes window management straightforward and user-friendly.
  • Customizable Shortcuts
    Users can easily configure keyboard shortcuts to better suit their workflow, making window management faster and more efficient.
  • Free
    Rectangle is available for free, making it accessible to anyone without the need for a financial investment.
  • Frequent Updates
    The app receives regular updates, introducing new features and ensuring compatibility with the latest macOS versions.
  • Lightweight
    Rectangle is a lightweight application that doesn't consume many system resources, ensuring smooth performance even on older Macs.

Possible disadvantages of Rectangle

  • Limited Advanced Features
    Rectangle lacks some of the more advanced features found in paid window management applications, such as multiple monitor support and more complex window arrangements.
  • MacOS Only
    Rectangle is only available for macOS, so users of other operating systems are unable to take advantage of its features.
  • Occasional Bugs
    Some users report occasional bugs or unpredictable behavior, which might require troubleshooting or waiting for a future update.
  • Learning Curve for Shortcuts
    While customizable shortcuts are a benefit, there is an initial learning curve for users to memorize and effectively use these shortcuts.
  • Basic Aesthetic
    The app's design and aesthetic are quite basic, lacking the polish and visual appeal found in some other similar tools.

UI Playbook features and specs

  • Comprehensive Guide
    UI Playbook offers a thorough and well-organized guide on user interface principles, providing valuable insights and best practices for designers at all levels.
  • Accessible Format
    The information is presented in a simple, easy-to-understand format, making it accessible to a wide range of users, from beginners to seasoned professionals.
  • Visual Examples
    The playbook includes visual examples that help in better understanding the implementation of UI concepts, making it easier to grasp complex ideas quickly.
  • Free Resource
    Being a free resource allows anyone to access high-quality information without any financial barrier, which is beneficial for students and novice designers.
  • Community Contribution
    Open to contributions from the community, allowing continuous improvement and updates based on the latest design trends and user feedback.

Possible disadvantages of UI Playbook

  • Limited Depth
    Some users may find the content lacking in depth, as it primarily focuses on basic and intermediate concepts rather than advanced UI design strategies.
  • Technical Limitations
    While the playbook is excellent for visual guidance, it lacks specific technical implementations and code snippets that developers may need.
  • Design Opinion Bias
    The guidance provided might reflect specific design philosophies that do not cater to all styles or industries, potentially limiting its adaptability.
  • Update Frequency
    As a freely accessible tool relying on community updates, it might not always reflect the very latest industry changes as quickly as premium platforms.
  • Navigation Challenges
    Users may find navigating through the large amount of content challenging, especially if they're searching for specific information among multiple sections.

Analysis of Rectangle

Overall verdict

  • Overall, Rectangle is highly regarded for its ease of use, extensive customization options, and the fact that it is free and open-source. It provides essential functionality without unnecessary complexity, making it suitable for both casual users and power users who need efficient window management.

Why this product is good

  • Rectangle is a popular window management tool for macOS, known for its simplicity and ease of use. It allows users to efficiently organize and resize application windows using customizable keyboard shortcuts or by dragging windows into pre-defined areas of the screen. This can enhance productivity by minimizing the time spent arranging windows and improving multitasking capabilities.

Recommended for

    Rectangle is recommended for macOS users looking for a straightforward, lightweight solution to manage application windows. It is particularly beneficial for those who frequently work with multiple applications at once, including developers, designers, and anyone who values a tidy and organized desktop environment.

Rectangle videos

SKYWALKER RECTANGLE TRAMPOLINE REVIEW!!!

More videos:

  • Review - Skywalker Rectangle Trampoline Review #1
  • Review - Marvin Malton 160 Rectangle Flying Hour Watch Review

UI Playbook videos

Vdo UI playbook

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Rectangle and UI Playbook)
Mac Tools
100 100%
0% 0
Design Tools
0 0%
100% 100
Window Manager
100 100%
0% 0
User Experience
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Rectangle and UI Playbook

Rectangle Reviews

Best 6 Mac Window Managers
Rectangle shows that you donโ€™t need to dip into your bank account to get window resizer tools. This free Mac window manager lets you manage multiple windows using keyboard shortcuts, menu options, or by dragging and dropping. Just like Magnet, you can split your screen up into quarters, thirds, or halves.
Source: mackeeper.com
Top 6 Window Manager Apps for Mac
Most window manager apps for Mac support multiple monitors. They can help you move windows between screens and create custom layouts for each monitor. Many window manager apps โ€“ such as BetterSnapTool, Magnet, and Rectangle โ€“ offer this functionality.
The 6 Best Mac Window Management Tools
However, it might take some time for you to get used to the shortcuts in the Rectangle app since there are many. Furthermore, you can also add some of your apps to exceptions if you want to keep them away from Rectangle's shortcuts.

UI Playbook Reviews

We have no reviews of UI Playbook yet.
Be the first one to post

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Rectangle seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 479 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Rectangle mentions (479)

  • Ubuntu 26.04 LTS Released
    As a both old Linux and now decade user of MacOS, after I got used to no middle-click paste and no focus-follows-mouse: 1. Keyboard shortcuts are Emacs, Ctrl-A: start of line, E: end of line, K: kill selected or to end of line, Y to paste, etc. https://support.apple.com/en-au/102650#text 2. Karabiner elements (FOSS) fixes keyboard mappings outside of the Settings: https://karabiner-elements.pqrs.org/ 3. I have the... - Source: Hacker News / 3 months ago
  • Native Instant Space Switching on macOS
    Every macOS user uses Rectangle.app โ€” https://rectangleapp.com The ones who don't use it is because they donโ€™t know it exists. - Source: Hacker News / 3 months ago
  • Native Instant Space Switching on macOS
    I use https://rectangleapp.com/ and enjoy it. I have shortcuts to move windows to the left/right half of the screen, and cycle between monitors. This, combined with native cmd+tab and cmd+` is enough for me. - Source: Hacker News / 3 months ago
  • Make macOS consistently bad (unironically)
    Rectangle [1] is pretty much essential for me because of this. I use only a few keypresses (maximize window, move to one of the halves of the screen horizontally) but that is enough. My mouse very rately interacts with the borders of any window, or those buttons. I had to click on the green one that you mentioned in order to see what it did (yuck). [1] https://rectangleapp.com/. - Source: Hacker News / 4 months ago
  • Make macOS consistently bad (unironically)
    I use Rectangle [1] for window management. I only use three shortcuts: full screen, left half of the screen, and right half of the screen. My editors and chrome are always running in one of these modes. But for other apps like Messages, Notes, Music, etc - yeah I don't usually expand them to full screen. [1] https://rectangleapp.com/. - Source: Hacker News / 4 months ago
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UI Playbook mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of UI Playbook yet. Tracking of UI Playbook recommendations started around Mar 2021.

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Rectangle and UI Playbook, you can also consider the following products

yabai - A tiling window manager for macOS based on binary space partitioning

Ant Design System for Figma - A large library of 2100+ handcrafted UI components

Magnet Window Manager - Magnet Developers

UserInterface.io - Weekly UI/UX tips in your inbox for free

BTT Remote - A remote control for you Mac, using your iPhone or iPad

50 UI Tips - Improve your UI/UX skills in an hour, for free